WhatsApp Adverts Have Arrived—Is It Time To Switch To Signal?

What's going on with ads in WhatsApp, what does it mean for your privacy and should you switch to ... More Signal instead? dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
'No ads, no games, no gimmicks.' This was the ethos of WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum. Yet 11 years after its acquisition by Meta, WhatsApp is finally doing what it said it'd never do — adverts inside the app.
The new move by WhatsApp's owner Meta has been criticised by NOYB – European Center for Digital Rights, a non-profit organization based in Vienna.
'This further integrates WhatsApp into other Meta services — an originally independent app, which initially was available for just $1 per year without ads or data usage,' the organization said.
WhatsApp has already been under fire for its blue circle AI, something users did not want or ask for.
So what's going on with ads in WhatsApp, what does it mean for your privacy and should you switch to Signal instead? I Thought WhatsApp Promised No Ads?
WhatsApp did promise no ads, but the Meta-owned app offers its services for free, which is why it has decided to start showing some limited advertising in certain sections.
And the ads in WhatsApp won't appear in your messages or chats. Instead of appearing in the Chats tab, they will appear in a section at the bottom of the messaging app in a new section called 'Updates.'
Businesses can promote ads in this space in a bid to gain followers for their channels or subscriber content. They can also advertise via a status update that looks similar to an Instagram story, according to the BBC.
WhatsApp owner Meta has been advertising the privacy credentials of its messaging platform, and it reiterates this on a page explaining its ads decision. Using Meta ad preferences to show ads on WhatsApp is completely optional and off by default, it says. If users don't add their WhatsApp account to Account Center, Meta is using limited information to show ads on the Updates tab.
That includes info like your country or city, language, the Channels you're following, and how you interact with the ads you see — which all comes from WhatsApp.
However, if you link your WhatsApp account to facebook or Instagram, the ads are personalized using your data.
WhatsApp owner Meta says it doesn't use the content of your personal messages, calls, and status, location shared in chats, your device contacts or your membership in groups with friends and family to show you ads. It does not sell or share your phone number with advertisers.
Meanwhile, it stresses that it does not keep logs of who everyone is messaging, and your personal messages, calls and status remain end-to-end encrypted, the gold standard of security that ensures no one can see your messages, including WhatsApp.
WhatsApp says it has 'no plans' to put ads in people's personal chats. What Do WhatsApp Ads Mean For Privacy?
Meta is not known for its privacy credentials. After all, it runs Facebook, which is free but involves you sharing a lot of data.
'If you're not paying for the product, you are the product,' says Alan Jones, CEO, YEO Messaging, which is a competitor of WhatsApp . He says the new WhatsApp advertising model will 'use behaviour, language, location and channel-following data to deliver targeted ads.'
Meta claims personal chats will remain ad-free, but that's a 'red herring,' Jones says. 'The real value lies in the metadata — what users read, follow, or click.'
Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET, says WhatsApp's new move looks fine on the surface, but users should be cautious all the same. 'The ads look set to be neatly confined and encrypted chats will stay untouched, plus user experience looks set to remain unaffected for most.'
However, he questions: 'How exactly will the limited data targeting look like in practice? 'And could we see gradual expansion of those data sources?' Moore asks. 'We know that micro targeted advertising is where the money really is.'
With this in mind, Moore advises WhatsApp users to 'keep an eye on consent settings and as they change or update in the future.'
While WhatsApp claims the new ads will be minimal and focused on just one tab, it raises several privacy concerns, according to ad blocking app AdGuard. 'Specifically, the potential for increased data collection and tracking, combined with the lack of any opt-out option, could significantly impact user privacy.'
While WhatsApp assures users that it won't target ads based on private messages, calls, or group activity, if you've integrated WhatsApp with Meta's Accounts Center (e.g., by linking it to Facebook or Instagram), the company can use your ad preferences and behavior across its entire ecosystem to deliver more targeted ads, Adguard warns. WhatsApp Ads — Should You Switch To Signal?
Meta's move to add ads in WhatsApp is certainly a concern for privacy-conscious users, mainly because of the precedent it could set for the future. WhatsApp says it won't ever use your chats for adverts, but remember, it is owned by a firm whose business model is based on advertising.
Privacy-focused messaging app Signal is a viable alternative — it is also end-to-end encrypted, just not owned by Meta. However, it doesn't have WhatsApp's 1.5 billion user share.
I use Signal as much as possible, but many of my contacts aren't signed up. If you're in a similar position, then for now, it might make sense to use it for your most private chats and for general messaging, stick to WhatsApp.

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